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American troops injured in Syrian rocket attacks; retaliate with airstrikes

Three American troops were injured in two rocket attacks in Syria earlier in the day and the United States responded with strikes from attack helicopters

US Prez Joe Biden appoints new Secret Service director amid Jan 6 scrutiny

President Joe Biden on Wednesday named Kim Cheatle, a veteran Secret Service official, to be the agency's next director as it faces controversy over missing text messages around the time thousands of supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol. Cheatle, who left the Secret Service in 2021 for a job as a security executive at PepsiCo, takes the reins as multiple congressional committees and the Department of Homeland Security's internal watchdog are investigating the missing text messages, which the Secret Service has said were purged during a technology transition. Cheatle had served in the Secret Service for 27 years and was the first woman to be named assistant director of protective operations, the division that provides protection to the president and other dignitaries. Cheatle had served on Biden's protective detail when he was vice president. During that time, Biden "came to trust" her judgment and counsel, he said in a statement. Biden said that her and

Biden administration responds to Iran's offer on 2015 nuclear agreement

The Biden administration on Wednesday responded to Iran's latest offer to resume its compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, but neither side is offering a definitive path to revive the agreement, which has been on life-support since former President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018. State Department spokesman Ned Price confirmed that the administration completed its review of Iran's comments on a European proposal. Price did not detail the administration's response. As you know, we received Iran's comments on the EU's proposed final text through the EU, Price said. Our review of those comments has now concluded. We have responded to the EU today. There is now expected to be another exchange of technical details followed by a meeting of the joint commission that oversees the deal. The new developments, including stepped-up public messaging campaigns by both Tehran and Washington, suggest that an agreement could be near. Despite the forward movement, numerous hurdles remain.

Biden administration appoints over 130 Indian-Americans at key positions

US President Joe Biden has appointed more than 130 Indian-Americans to key positions in his administration so far, the best representation from the community that makes up around one per cent of the American population. In doing so he has not only fulfilled his promise to the community that he had made as a presidential candidate in 2020, but also shattered the record of his predecessor Donald Trump who had appointed more than 80 Indian-Americans and his previous boss Barack Obama, who had appointed over 60 Indian-Americans to key positions during his eight years of presidency. More than 40 Indian-Americans has been elected at various state and federal levels including four in the US House of Representatives. Not to miss the more than 20 Indian-Americans leading top US companies. While the first-ever presidential appointment was done during the time of Ronald Regan, this time Biden has appointed Indian-Americans to almost all departments and agencies of his ...

Why Capt Zoya Agarwal's flight into US aviation museum is significant

Becomes first female Indian pilot to join those who've contributed to advancement of commercial aviation

US airstrikes target Iran backed militia-controlled areas in east Syria

The US military said early on Wednesday it carried out airstrikes in eastern Syria that targeted areas used by militias backed by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. There was no immediate acknowledgment by Syria's state-run media of the strikes hitting Deir Ez-Zor. Iran as well did not acknowledge the attack. The US military's Central Command said the strikes took proportionate, deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize the risk of casualties. It did not identify the targets, nor offer any casualty figures from the strikes, which the military said came at the orders of President Joe Biden. Today's strikes were necessary to protect and defend US personnel," Central Command spokesman Col. Joe Buccino said in a statement. The colonel added the attack was in response to an August 15 attack targeting US forces. That attack saw drones allegedly launched by Iranian-backed militias target the al-Tanf Garrison used by American forces. US Central Command

Israel, US sign cyber-financial agreement, strengthen economic cooperation

Israel and the US signed the first agreement for cyber-financial cooperation, the Israeli Ministry of Finance has said in a statement

US urges its citizens to leave Ukraine amid fears of Russian attacks

The US has urged its citizens in Ukraine to leave the war-torn country immediately as the threat of increasing Russian attacks lingers on the region

US to send $3 bn in aid to equip Ukrainian forces as war hits 6 months

As Russia's war on Ukraine drags on, U.S. security assistance is shifting to a longer-term campaign that will likely keep more American military troops in Europe into the future, including imminent plans to announce an additional roughly $3 billion in aid to train and equip Ukrainian forces to fight for years to come, U.S. officials said. U.S. officials told The Associated Press that the package is expected to be announced Wednesday, the day the war hits the six-month mark and Ukraine celebrates its independence day. The money will fund contracts for drones, weapons and other equipment that may not see the battlefront for a year or two, they said. The total of the aid package which is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative could change overnight, but not likely by much. Several officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the aid before its public release. Unlike most previous packages, the new funding is largely aimed at helping Ukraine secure i

Civil lawsuit against state police for negligence in Texas school shooting

Families of the victims and survivors of the gruesome school shooting in May this year in the US state of Texas are planning to file a whopping USD 27 billion civil right lawsuit against district and state police authorities for negligence in performing their duties, a media report has said. On May 24, a gunman stormed into an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two teachers, in the deadliest school shooting in the US in nearly a decade. Since that massacre, several celebrities from different walks in life have appealed for ensuring gun responsibility in the US. On behalf of the family members of the victims and survivors of the Uvalde, Texas school shooting, attorney Charles Bonner announced that he is filing a USD 27 billion civil rights lawsuit against the authorities of the state for negligence in their duty, KSAT News, a Texas-based media organisation, reported on Monday. The law suit in particular is against Uvalde Consolidated Independent School Distr

NASA gives approval for uncrewed Moon mission launch on August 29

Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond

Afghan refugee faces murder charges for third Muslim killing in a year

An Afghan refugee charged in the slayings of two Muslim men is facing new charges in connection with the shooting death of another man in the parking lot of a refugee resettlement agency earlier this month. A grand jury indicted Muhammad Syed in the three killings on Monday. He's also a suspect in the shooting death of a Muslim shop owner in November 2021, but he has yet to be charged in that case. The indictment includes the deaths of Aftab Hussein and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain. Hussein, 41, was slain on the night of July 26 after parking his car in the usual spot near his home. Afzaal Hussain, a 27-year-old urban planner who had worked on the campaign of a New Mexico congresswoman, was gunned down on August 1 while taking his evening walk. In the August 5 killing, authorities have accused Syed of shooting Naeem Hussain as he sat in his vehicle outside Lutheran Family Services, the resettlement agency, following funeral services for two of the other shooting victims. Shots were fir

Third case of Monkeypox among minors reported in US, first in New York

A minor in New York has reportedly contracted monkeypox, a first among children in the state, and at least the third reported case of the disease among children in the US

China fumes as another US official visits Taiwan, calls it a 'toxic trend'

China has expressed its outrage after Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb landed in Taiwan on Sunday to hold talks with the leadership of the self-ruled island amid increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.This is the second such visit by the US delegation after the short trip of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that angered China and set off military tensions in the Taiwan Strait."I landed in Taipei to kick off an economic development trip in Taiwan & South Korea. Indiana's home to 10 Taiwanese and 12 South Korean businesses. This week marks my 2nd trip to South Korea as Governor & I'm proud to be the first governor to visit Taiwan since before the pandemic," Holcomb tweeted."Our delegation will spend this week meeting with government officials, business leaders and academic institutions to further strengthen Indiana's economic, academic and cultural connections with Taiwan and South Korea," he said in another tweet.Chinese state media outlet said this visit "shows a toxic trend ..

Russia, US working on ways to resume inspections under new START treaty

Moscow and Washington are working on removing obstacles to resuming inspections under the New START arms control treaty, with some issues already resolved, the Russian Embassy in the United States.

Explained | How a year of Taliban rule has changed Afghanistan

On 15th August 2021, the Taliban swept into Kabul. The world would remember the day as one in which the American troops abandoned Afghanistan, leaving behind chaotic scenes at Kabul's international airport with thousands of Afghans desperately attempting to flee the country. A year after the dramatic day much has changed in Afghanistan. The former insurgents struggle to govern and remain internationally isolated. The nation remains in the grips of the world's "worst" humanitarian crisis. #taliban #afghanistan #usa #talibanrule #afghancrisis #kabul #kabulairport

Biden to host 'United We Stand' summit against hate-fuelled violence in US

President Joe Biden will host a White House summit next month aimed at combating a spate of hate-fuelled violence in the US, as he works to deliver on his campaign pledge to heal the soul of the nation". The White House announced on Friday that Biden will host the 'United We Stand Summit' on September 15, highlighting the corrosive effects of violence on public safety and democracy. Advocates pushed Biden to hold the event after 10 Black people were killed at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket in May, aiming as well to address a succession of hate-driven violence in cities including El Paso, Texas, Pittsburgh and Oak Creek, Wisconsin. As President Biden said in Buffalo after the horrific mass shooting earlier this year, in the battle for the soul of our nation 'we must all enlist in this great cause of America,' press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. The United We Stand Summit will present an important opportunity for Americans of all races, religions, regions, ...

Doha agreement with Taliban a 'big mistake,' says former US NSA John Bolton

Referring to the Doha agreement between the US and the Taliban the biggest mistake, ex-National Security Advisor John Bolton said that the Taliban has failed its commitments towards Afghan people

Oil higher on optimism for firmer crude demand post US stockpile drawdown

Oil prices edged higher in early trade on Friday, extending a rally into a third day, as investors weighed hopes for strong fuel demand after a larger-than-expected drawdown in US crude stocks.

Bed Bath & Beyond rally fizzles out as billionaire plans to dump stake

Billionaire investor Ryan Cohen's investment vehicle RC Ventures intends to sell 9.45 million shares, a filing late on Wednesday showed